Recent shifts in national policy and bold local proposals have put hunger relief at a crossroads. President Donald Trump’s newly passed bill slashes billions of dollars from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — once known as food stamps. Meanwhile, Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is pushing a radically different vision: opening city-funded grocery stores in all five boroughs.

Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, joined NY1’s Errol Louis to break down the implications of these changes. What will Trump’s cuts mean for New Yorkers when they go into effect in 2027? Can local proposals like Mamdani’s make a dent in hunger in New York City? Berg discussed the policy changes he thinks are needed, from raising wages to building more housing, to address hunger at its root.